The sheer number of them was almost too much for Kawaki Aoba to count.
This had to be the Iwagakure shinobi force lying in ambush for the Third Raikage.
The number of Iwagakure ninjas was truly astonishing. Even without pinpointing Ōnoki's chakra signature among the dense cluster of chakra sources, Kawaki Aoba dared not linger. He immediately turned around and flew swiftly toward the coastline.
Still, a question gnawed at him: how did the Iwagakure shinobi know for certain that the Third Raikage would take this mountain path?
Before he had flown far, his Kenbunshoku Haki—a power foreign to the shinobi world but one he had somehow acquired—picked up the chakra signatures of the Raikage and his group.
Leading the formation was the Third Raikage himself, flanked by 17 elite Kumogakure shinobi. Each possessed a strong chakra presence, but the Raikage's was overwhelming—his chakra volume and density surpassed all others present by a wide margin.
Even in the perception of Kenbunshoku Haki, the Third Raikage's might eclipsed that of Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage.
Though strength isn't solely defined by chakra, if the Five Kage were forced into a one-on-one deathmatch, Kawaki Aoba believed the Third Raikage—A—would be the last one standing.
That he had chosen this narrow, exposed mountain stream route despite its obvious risk was troubling. Could there be traitors among the upper echelons of Kumogakure? A village known for its military discipline and unity?
Watching A lead his elite squad into the encirclement, Kawaki Aoba muttered under his breath, "I underestimated that old man Ōnoki."
Little did he know, Ōnoki hadn't needed traitors. The reason he was able to predict A's movements so precisely was because this route was the shortest—and the Third Raikage, known for his aggressive and straightforward tactics, would inevitably take it.
Even if A had second thoughts and tried an alternate route, it wouldn't have mattered. Ōnoki had already deployed squads to the coastlines, confiscating or destroying all boats.
And as for the Raikage simply sprinting across the ocean with chakra control—well, Ōnoki had scoffed, "If he can cross the sea on foot from the Land of Lightning to the Land of Earth, then I'll concede defeat."
In short, Ōnoki was determined to kill the Raikage.
"Once we pass through this gorge, we'll be within striking range of Iwagakure. We move fast and hit them before Ōnoki can react!"
A's words were as forceful as his appearance—rugged and intimidating. He looked less like a Kage and more like a bandit leader, and in truth, what he was doing now wasn't too far off from a raid.
Perhaps due to their haste, none of the nearly 20 elite shinobi had noticed the trap ahead. They plunged straight into the ambush zone.
But they were not careless. Within minutes of entering the canyon, one of the jonin signaled—something felt wrong.
But by then, it was already too late.
The Iwagakure ninjas, lying in wait on the ridges above, began their assault. A massive, synchronized barrage of Earth Release jutsu rained down from all sides. The very terrain seemed to collapse inward.
Over ten kilometers away, watching from afar, even the aged Tsuchikage Ōnoki finally revealed himself.
Kawaki Aoba, seeing the battle erupt from a distance, didn't stick around for the aftermath. Transforming into a hawk—a technique more akin to a transformation jutsu than true shapeshifting—he soared swiftly toward Iwagakure.
Half a day later, he arrived at the village.
Iwagakure was on lockdown. The gates were sealed, no movement in or out. A curfew was in place even during daylight. The only visible activity came from patrolling shinobi.
To the uninformed, it would appear that the village was in a state of emergency. But Kawaki Aoba, scanning with Kenbunshoku Haki, realized the truth: Iwagakure was hollow. The patrolling shinobi were all that remained.
With the core of the village empty, Kawaki Aoba didn't hold back.
Shifting his form into that of a bird native to the Land of Earth, he locked onto the Tsuchikage Building and flew toward it.
Compared to the bustling Konoha, Iwagakure—built among harsh stone cliffs—was stark and bare. One major difference was in its protective barrier systems.
Konoha's barrier covered the entire village and included functions for detection, intrusion alerts, and chakra identification. Iwagakure, on the other hand, had barriers in name only—functional in a few critical spots like the Tsuchikage Building, but nothing village-wide.
When Kawaki Aoba landed on the side of the Tsuchikage Building, no alarms triggered. The perimeter security was nearly nonexistent.
However, his Haki couldn't penetrate the building itself—it was clearly reinforced with chakra-dampening seals.
"It seems I'll have to go in the hard way," he murmured.
With no other option, he used the Transformation Jutsu to take on the appearance of Smoker, a marine officer from another world—a reflection of his strange dual heritage.
It wasn't subtle. If he was going to invade, he might as well make it loud.
A dense cloud of white smoke billowed from his transformed body, engulfing the entire Tsuchikage Building.
The tall structure was the most recognizable in the village—naturally, every patrolling shinobi noticed the smoke immediately.
"Is that... smoke?!"
"We're under attack! The Tsuchikage Building has been infiltrated!"
Shouts rang out, and shinobi scrambled to respond.
Within the swirling cloud, Kawaki Aoba kicked down the reinforced door and entered the heart of the building.
Whoosh!
A flash of steel—a cold blade arced toward his neck from the shadows.
It was not surprising to find ninja guards stationed at the entrance of the Tsuchikage Building.
The guard's swordsmanship wasn't bad, but it was nowhere near enough against Kawaki Aoba's current strength.
With a slight twist of his body, Aoba easily dodged the incoming strike. He waved his hand, and white smoke surged forth, twisting into ropes that quickly restrained the guard.
"Iwagakure shinobi," Aoba said with a sinister smile, his features disguised under the guise of Smoker, "I trust you wouldn't mind telling me where your village's Book of Seals is, would you?"
As expected, the Iwagakure ninja remained silent, showing no intention of cooperating.
Being posted at the Tsuchikage's Building meant this man was a staunch loyalist of that old fossil Ōnoki. Aoba's question was just a probe, not meant to yield answers.
Seeing the guard's unyielding expression, Aoba lost interest in interrogation.
He raised his hand, and the smoke reshaped into a massive fist that snapped the ninja's neck with chilling finality.
Aoba stepped past the fallen guard and began examining the interior of the Tsuchikage Building.
Aside from the difference in architectural style, the structure resembled that of the Hokage Building in Konoha. Curiously, no additional guards had appeared. It was far too quiet.
Even if Iwagakure was understaffed, the defenses shouldn't be this sparse.
Something wasn't right.
Although confident in his power, Aoba didn't act recklessly. He spread his hands, and a thick fog of white smoke billowed out and began forming clones—identical figures in Smoker's form.
"Go," he ordered. "Search every corner of this place. Tear up the floors if you have to. Find the Book of Seals."
Aoba stood arrogantly in the empty hall, but he had the strength to justify it.
Since Iwagakure's founding, had anyone ever dared to storm the Tsuchikage Building so brazenly?
He was the first.
Calmly, he waited for his smoke clones to complete their search.
He wasn't worried about reinforcements from outside. The thick smoke barrier he had cast around the building wasn't mere camouflage like the Mist Concealment Technique. His smoke possessed physical properties—stronger, more binding.
Any Chūnin or Genin who entered would be captured without resistance. Even most Jōnin would find it difficult to break free.
Only someone overwhelmingly stronger than Aoba in his base state could force their way through.
Boom!
Suddenly, an explosion shook the building.
Aoba's expression shifted slightly. The blast was different from standard explosive tags—more volatile, more… artistic.
He activated his Observation Haki and instantly identified the source.
A young blond shinobi stood outside, shaping clay in his hands.
It was Deidara.
Though still a youth, Deidara had already developed his signature explosive clay.
"A true prodigy," Aoba muttered, watching through his Haki as Deidara shaped another bomb with eager hands.
Despite its seemingly simple appearance, Deidara's clay art was born from a fusion of Earth and Lightning chakra natures—an advanced technique bordering on Explosion Release, a recognized kekkei genkai.
For someone his age to use it so effectively was extraordinary. He truly deserved to be called a genius.
Unfortunately, today he had crossed paths with Kawaki Aoba.
Outside, Deidara did not rush into the smoke like his less experienced peers. Instead, he hurled his clay explosives at the barrier, trying to blow it apart.
As he did, his eyes sparkled with glee.
He had always wanted to bomb the Tsuchikage Building. Until now, fear of Ōnoki had held him back—but this situation gave him the perfect excuse.
"Ugh, still not enough clay or chakra…!" he muttered. "If I had more time to prepare, I'd create the ultimate piece of art!"
As he readied another clay sculpture, a massive hand made of smoke suddenly shot out from the barrier.
It reached for him, larger than his entire frame.
Reacting quickly, Deidara threw the clay bomb at the smoke hand and leapt back.
BOOM!
The explosion scattered the smoke appendage into harmless vapor.
"Now that's art!" Deidara exclaimed gleefully.
But before he could celebrate, he stumbled—his ankle yanked mid-air by an unseen force. His body flipped as he was hoisted upside down.
A thick white rope of smoke had snared his leg.
As he dangled, another wave of smoke surged forward, swiftly wrapping around his body like a cocoon, binding his arms and sealing his movements.
Just like that, Deidara—the future Akatsuki member known for his explosive genius—was subdued, caught before his talent could blossom into danger.
Visit patreon.com/Akeyno to get 30+ chapters